Central African Republic: Situation Report, 17 March 2023

HIGHLIGHTS

• In 2023, the humanitarian community in CAR plans to assist 2.4 million most vulnerable people. US$ 465 million is required.

• Humanitarian actors provided life-saving assistance to 1.9 million people in 2022, representing 95 per cent of the Humanitarian Response Plan target

• With 50 per cent of the population not eating enough,
  CAR has one of the highest proportions of critically food-insecure people in the world.

• After several years of displacement, humanitarian and development actors are helping internally displaced persons and refugees to resume a normal life.

BACKGROUND

The new 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for the Central African Republic

Due to the underlying socio-political crisis, a large portion of the population of the Central African Republic continues to face a humanitarian crisis with severe humanitarian needs, particularly in areas outside of urban centers, with violence against civilians and insecurity continuing to push Central Africans into displacement. More than one in five Central Africans are currently displaced either within the country or in neighboring countries. People's access to basic services such as health and education, as well as to livelihoods including agriculture, continues to be severely limited as a result of insecurity.

In this context, the protection and well-being of Central Africans remains at risk. In 2023, 3.4 million people, or 56 per cent of the population, will need humanitarian assistance and protection.

Given the scale of humanitarian needs and the anticipated risks, the humanitarian community in CAR, through the Humanitarian Response Plan, aims to assist 2.4 million people in 2023 with vital multi-sectoral assistance. To that end, US$ 465 million is required. Extraordinary donor support in 2023 will be needed more than ever, in an environment where the risks of economic recession and new crises around the world will strain on available resources.

In 2022, humanitarians demonstrated flexibility and adaptability over operating environment challenges, and deployed to respond to a variety of new crises including in several landlocked areas, particularly in the north of the country. 1.9 million people received life-saving multisectoral assistance, or 95 per cent of the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan target.

The response strategy in 2023 will be based on a multisectoral response to various types of needs, localization to strengthen the response by national and local actors, accountability to ensure the response is in line with expectations of those in need, and the nexus to establish a link between the emergency response and assistance to support the return of displaced persons. The humanitarian community will seek to establish a certain balance in the distribution of resources among sectors, for a better response in view of different nature of needs.

For more information, see the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for the Central African Republic.

Central African Republic: humanitarian needs remain severe in 2023

The humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to deteriorate. As a result of violence against civilians and insecurity in areas outside urban centres, several million people inevitably remain vulnerable and their livelihoods are eroding. Their access to food and basic services such as health care and water supply continues to be limited.

In 2023, 3.4 million people will need humanitarian assistance and protection, an increase of 10 per cent compared to 2022, mainly due to the government's updated population count, which has grown by more than 24%, reaching 6.1 million people. Among those in need of humanitarian assistance, 2 million people have such complex and severe needs that their physical and mental well-being is at risk.

These are the findings of a joint multi-sectoral analysis conducted by the humanitarian community among vulnerable people, published in the Humanitarian Needs Overview 2023 for CAR. People affected by the crisis were at the heart of the analysis, with 23,300 households interviewed in all 72 sub-prefectures of the country. The results shed light on how the current crisis is affecting the living conditions of the population, available services and access to these services, and inform about people's priority needs.

The magnitude of needs

The sectors with the largest number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023 are water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), food security, health and protection, covering between 2.7 and 3 million people. Food security and WASH are the sectors with the greatest increase of needs, with 600,000 (+25 per cent) and 200,000 (+7 per cent) more people in need of assistance compared to 2022.

While clashes between parties to the conflict have decreased in intensity to some extent, violence against civilians has not kept pace and their livelihoods continue to deteriorate, including through forced displacement. In addition, the stress within households due to food insecurity, as well as the adoption of negative coping mechanisms have led to an increase in gender-based violence (GBV), affecting thousands of women and girls. Of the 10 sub-prefectures that recorded an increase in GBV cases, five sub-prefectures are classified in phase 4 of 5 on an international food insecurity classification scale, just one step away from a catastrophic situation.

A solid foundation for the 2023 humanitarian response

To meet people's needs in 2023, humanitarian actors in collaboration with the Central African Government are developing a common strategy to guide their response, based on the 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview. This strategy is detailed in the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for CAR.

Thanks to generous donor contributions in 2022, humanitarian partners in CAR have provided life-saving multisectoral assistance to 1.9 million people, despite a volatile security context. Although the level of funding for the Humanitarian Response Plan 2022 remains among the highest in the region, sectors such as WASH, education and protection, in particular GBV, remain underfunded. Humanitarian partners are counting on the continued commitment of donors to stand by Central Africans and enable humanitarian organizations to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable population in 2023.

Download the English summary of the 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview for CAR here.